Dreams can be nighmares
by Reba87
Summary: Caroline realises just how vivid her dreams can be.
1. Chapter 1

Caroline is woken by a loud crash coming from downstairs. She looks at the time on her phone 6:15am she sighs and wonders if it was all a dream; losing Kate. She shuffles out of bed and sits on the edge, wiping the sleep from her eyes and trying to work out who was making all the noise down stairs. She takes her robe off the hook on the back of the door, and she sees Kate's next to it. She stuffs her phone in the pocket and walks down the hallway to Lawrence's room, where he is still fast asleep. She turns around and heads to the stairs, as she wanders down the stairs, there is another bang. She yells out "Who is making that god-damn noise?"

John appears around the corner with a frying pan in his hand. Caroline thinks that there is something else she'll rather do with that frying pan, which involves his head. Just as she was about to yell at him her phone rings. "Yes, Hello" she forgot to check on who was ringing. "Caroline, hi, when are you coming in to see us?" It's Kate. The dream she had saw very vivid she'd almost believed that it was real, that Kate had died, she was buried, and that Gillian had married Robbie. Caroline walks into the lounge room, shuts the door. She doesn't really want John to hear the conversation. "Kate, I'll be in to see the two of you in about an hour"

She pours herself a cup of coffee, and slumps down on the stool; "do you, Uhh, want anything to eat?" John asks. Caroline shakes her head "I'll finish this and go and have a shower, then head off to the hospital to see Kate and the baby, they may send the baby home today" She says with a little smile on her face, she wants both of her girls at home with her, but for now she is happy just having one home.

She walks through the hospital doors, down a hallway and then into the maternity ward. "Dr Dawson-McKenzie, how are you?" she smiles at the nurse "fine thank you, and how is my little girl?" the nurse gestures to the single room where the baby is "how about we go and check on her" The baby is sleeping when Caroline walks it, she picks the baby up and kisses her on the forehead. "Have you been to see Kate yet?" Caroline shakes her head, "I wanted to check in here first and let Kate know how she is going" she kisses the baby again, whispers "I love you and I'll be back soon" she places the baby back down, and walks out with the nurse. "You'll let me know when the doctor comes in?" the nurse nods, and Caroline walks away.

She walks into the room, Kate is sitting up eating breakfast, and Caroline has a big smile on her face as she looks at her wife propped up in bed. She walks over to the bed, leans down and kisses Kate on the head "hello you" Kate looks up to her "hi" Caroline sits on the edge of the bed, watching as her wife slowly but shakily raised the spoon of cereal to her mouth. Kate is still struggling to eat properly after the accident, after 3 broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a broken collarbone, who blames her? "How is the baby?" Kate asks between mouthfuls, "Oh, yeah, she is fine, they'll let me know when the doctor is there to see her" Kate smiles. God knows how the baby survived uninjured after the accident, but she was fine.

A nurse walks in to the room "the doctor is with the baby" Caroline kisses Kate on the head, "I'll be back, with hopefully good news" Kate smiles and Caroline walks out. "Doctor Dawson" he holds out his hand "please call me Caroline, how is she?" the doctor scans his notes, looks at Caroline "well she is perfectly fine to go home today" Caroline smiles, she hugs the doctor and thanks him for looking after the little girl. The doctor excuses himself, and Caroline pulls out her phone, looking at the nurse "I've got a couple of calls to make" the nurse nods and walks out of the room. Caroline sits on a chair, the phone in one hand, the baby in the other, she pulls up her mother's name on the phone, and calls her.

"Mum, hi, its me, yep, both are good, actually I can take the baby home today" "Oh, that's great dear" there was a muffled sound "Alan is happy too, do you have everything with you to bring her home? Or do we need to bring some things up to you?" Caroline replies "Uhh, no, I've got everything in the jeep, actually I've had the stuff in the car for a while" she chuckles. Next she calls William, although he was back at university, he wanted to be kept up with the news on his little sister and stepmother. Caroline gets voicemail "William, its mum, good news the baby is coming home today, no word on Kate though, I'll call you later and tell you more, love you" and she hangs up.

The nurse walks back in, Caroline stands up with the baby, "I've got the baby capsule and other things in the car that I need to get, but I want to take her up to Kate before we go home" The nurse nods, and takes the baby off Caroline "I'll called the ward and let them know that you'll be bringing the baby up soon, but I'll also stay here with her while you go and get the things out of your car" Caroline kisses the baby and whisks out of the room.

Caroline soon returns with the items, she packs up the room, and then places the little girl in her capsule. Caroline carries her little girl into the room; the nurse places the bags down and leaves. "Somebody is here to see her mummy" Kate squeals with delight, and Caroline places the baby on her chest, keeping her hand on the child's back. "We really should name her" Kate smiles with tears running down her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline gets the baby home; she walks through the door "Mummy's home" Lawrence stands on the landing of the stairs. "Oh, great, you've brought it home" he exclaims. He rolls his eyes and heads back towards his room. "Oi, back here mister" Caroline yells to her son "firstly the baby is a girl, so it's a she not an it! And secondly she finally has a name, Flora" Lawrence shrugs and goes back to his room. Caroline sighs, she knows how hard the past year has been on him, and he has been through a lot of changes, she also knew that he wouldn't be jumping for joy over the new little sister.

John sticks his head around the doorway "So she's home then?" Caroline looks down at the sleeping baby and nods. "I'm going to take her up and put her into bed" John goes to offer to do it, but he was too slow and Caroline had already worked her way up the stairs with the baby in capsule. "John, a cup of tea would be nice," she shouts behind her as she goes to walk into her room.

Caroline places the baby in the bassinet that sits in the corner of the room, and she then collapses on the bed, exhaustedly. She is glad that John is there to help out with Lawrence, but she wishes that he realised that he is not there for herself, Kate or the baby. Caroline is also relieved that she no longer is running between two different hospital wards, plus Kate wouldn't worry so much about Flora now that she is home. Flora. Flora Grace, the name they decided on for the little girl. Flora is such a different name, she thinks, she knows that her mother is going to screw up her nose at it. "Traditional names are the best" Celia told her when she was first pregnant with William, she loved the names the boys got; but when it comes to Flora, Caroline knows that Celia will find an issue with it.

She walks down the stairs with the baby monitor in her hand, she hears John talking to somebody. She enters the room, and there is her mother and stepfather. Caroline kisses both on the cheek, says hello and takes a cup from John. "How is she?" her mother asks "Who? Kate? She is fine, but is itching to come home, the doctor said a couple more days though" Celia shakes her head "The baby dear" Caroline smiles "Sleeping thankfully, oh, Mum, Alan, she finally has a name, Flora Grace" as those words slip off Caroline's lips she watches her mother's face, she was right, she did screw up her nose a little bit. "Flora Grace?" Alan asks, Caroline nods "Oh, beautiful, a beautiful name for the little one" he continues. Caroline notices that her mother is biting her tongue, wanting to say something, but what?

"Mum? What do you think?" Caroline is fishing for a bite. "I think it's a great name" John exclaims, Caroline rolls her eyes and looks back at her mother. "Well, dear, Grace is a great traditional name, but Flora? Are the two of you sure about it?" Caroline rolls her eyes again. "Kate has had her heart set on that name for a long time now, plus I love it" "Well then that is all that matters, as long as the two of you love it, be it!" Caroline finishes her cup of tea; she pulls out a banana from the fruit bowl, and begins to eat it. "So Caroline, when are you heading back up to the hospital?" Alan asks. Caroline finishes her mouthful, looks at her watch "In about an hour, would you two like to come and see her? She is getting bored, and I think she'll love it" "Why not" Celia replies. "John? You don't mind watching the baby?" She doesn't want to take the baby, but part of her does not want her to leave the baby alone with John. John nods excitedly, and Lawrence rushes into the room. "Mum?" she looks to the back of her son as he sticks his head in a cupboard "Can I go to Angus'?" she hears muffled from the cupboard "sure, why not, we're going to the hospital to see Kate, Dad's staying with the baby, so we can drop you on the way" Lawrence smiles, pulls his phone out to text Angus back and hurries out of the room "be outside in half an hour" Caroline calls after her son.

The three adults are sitting in the Jeep, waiting for Lawrence. "I-I should go and get him" Alan stutters from the back seat, meanwhile Caroline was already out the door, and heading to the front door. She flings the door open and calls for Lawrence, he comes rushing down the stairs, says "sorry mum" as he pushes out the doorway, and as soon as Caroline goes to shut the door she hears a cry. "Buggar" she mumbles to herself "John, baby!" she slams the door and gets back into the car. Caroline has an idea. Lawrence has hardly seen Kate since the accident, and he should see her.

They reach a roundabout, normally to go to Angus's she would turn left, she doesn't, and she goes straight on. "Mum!" she hears her son shriek, "Oh, Kate wants to see you" she tells her son. She knows it is a white lie, but she knows it would make Kate feel better to have some visitors. "just go and see Kate, and then I'll run you back to Angus's and leave Granny and Alan with her for a little bit" He shrugs at the idea and mumbles an ok.

Lawrence sulks through the doors of the room, behind his mother and grandmother. "Hello all!" Kate exclaims excitedly. Celia and Alan both give her a kiss and a hug, followed by a kiss from Caroline. Lawrence stands there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say. "Kate? How is the food?" he asks, wondering what else can he really ask. Kate smiles at her stepson "it's fine really" she tells him. "I am glad you're here Lawrence, I need you to look at my tablet, I'm having issues" she hands the tablet over to the boy, she sits on the corner of the bed and plays with it as the adults talk. A few presses of some buttons Lawrence hands the device back to Kate "its fine now Kate" and he started to ramble on how he fixed it.

Caroline looks at the time on her watch "right Lawrence I'd better get you to Angus's then" Lawrence gets up, he gives Kate a soft hug and waves as he heads out he door, meanwhile Caroline picks up her handbag, gives Kate a kiss and tells her that she'll be back soon. Caroline walks fast to catch up to her son, and manages to reach him at the doorway. They get to Angus's place; Angus's mother meets Caroline at the door. "Caroline, hello, how are things?" Caroline smiles "Kate is still in hospital, hopefully she'll be home in a couple of days, the baby meanwhile is home, and I am hoping to get back to work soon" the mother smiles "how is it that you've managed to get all the time off?" Caroline is asked. "Oh parental leave, sick leave and also a bit of long service leave" she replies with a smile, none of your business though Caroline is thinking. "John will be picking up Lawrence later, he'll be here around 8:30, if that is okay" the mother nods, and Caroline walks away.

She walks back through the hallway of the hospital. She can hear laughter coming out of Kate's room, silently thanking god that Kate got a private room; she plants a smile on her face as she walks into the room, she wants to cry on the inside, but instead has put on a brave face for her wife. She is struggling with everything; she wants Kate home, so it's less for her to worry about, but alas, its not going to happen soon.


End file.
